The Redstone Rig is a simple camera bracket designed to be an upgrade from the Public Lab soda bottle mapping rig. It is not motorized or remotely controllable, but allows better aerial stability, full access to the camera, easy camera aiming, and excellent camera protection. It is designed for small point and shoot cameras like Canon PowerShots. The articulated camera tray allows vertical shooting for mapping and also oblique photography with the camera balanced in any position. The camera (not included) is attached with a thumb screw (included) into the tripod socket so is always securely pointed in the same direction. Protective legs and bumpers can be configured in various ways for different needs. The rig can be easily suspended using either a Picavet or pendulum system, both of which prevent spinning and tend to keep the rig level. The Picavet is recommended for kite flights, and the pendulum is better for ballooning.
Three different camera trays are available, and can be selected on the product page.
The Standard and Wide trays have raised lips on both sides, so the base of the camera has to fit between them. The back of the camera can be mounted up against a lip to prevent rotation which could change the lens direction and loosen the tripod screw. The second lip makes the tray reversible so it can be drilled for another camera with a tripod socket in a different place. The two different widths allow small and large cameras to be balanced front to back. A third tray is wide but has only One lip so deeper cameras or cameras with lenses extending close to their bottoms can be accommodated. (Files for a fourth tray type, a tall version of the One-lip tray for tall cameras, are available at Thingiverse.) All lips are 4 mm high. Extra trays are available under Aerial Rig Parts.
The Redstone Rig is sold as a kit, and some simple assembly is required. Cameras do not have their tripod socket in a standardized place, so each tray must be custom drilled for a particular camera. Detailed assembly instructions are available. Holes for attaching the camera tray to the upper frame are now pre-drilled in both parts and work well to balance most point and shoot cameras. If I have the same camera you do, I can configure a rig for it for an additional charge of $19.00. Just add the product “Preparation charge” under Aerial Rig Parts for each camera rig or suspension rig you want to be delivered fully prepared. Enter instructions in the comment box at checkout if there is ambiguity to eliminate.
Parts list
Assembly instructions
Printing guide
Buy a Redstone kit
